Dr. Anirban Basu

Chairman & CEO, Sage Policy Group, Inc.

Anirban Basu is chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., a Baltimore-based economic and policy consultancy he founded in 2004.  He serves the chief economist function for many organizations, including the Maryland Bankers Association and Associated Builders and Contractors.  The Baltimore Business Journal named him one of the region’s 20 most powerful business leaders in 2010.  In 2022, he entered the Daily Record newspaper’s Circle of Influence.  He is the distinguished economist in residence at Goucher College, where he teaches History of Economic Thought. He holds four graduate degrees, including a J.D. and a Ph.D.

Invited Keynote: Maria Lehman

PE, F.ASCE, ENV SP, Infrastructure Director and Principal, GHD

Maria Lehman is GHD’s Infrastructure Market Leader for the United States since May of 2020. Maria was the former Vice President for Critical Infrastructure for Parsons, COO and Acting Executive Director of the New York State Thruway Authority and Commissioner of Public Works for Erie County, NY. She has 40 years of diverse, increasingly responsible, multi-disciplinary technical and leadership experience, both in the private and public sectors, and in traditional and alternative delivery. She received her BS in Civil Engineering at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Magna Cum Laude, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in several states. She has served as Principal-in-Charge, Project Executive, Program and Project Manager, and Project Engineer on more than 700 projects which required everything from scoping, planning, environmental studies, preparation of plans, specifications, and estimates, construction management and operations and maintenance; ranging in size from $10,000 to $3.9 billion. Her strength has been in the area of complex element coordination; well-developed project communications, government and community relations, including innovative finance and grants; and fast track implementation on complex projects. She has successfully led alternative delivery projects such as Design Build, Best Value, and Public Private Partnerships.

Simon Anderson

Founder, Venture Foresight, LLC

Simon Anderson is an international futurist keynote speaker, applied foresight expert, executive advisor, and award-winning author. With a mission to help executives and organizations move beyond resilience and become future ready, Simon translates complex emerging trends and technologies into actionable insights and strategies using his Future Ready Formula™. Drawing on his extensive experience in applied foresight with executive leadership and a global perspective gained from speaking on four continents and his travels to more than 35 countries, he empowers leaders across industries to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities created by rapid change. As the co-author of the award-winning book Foresight 20/20: A Futurist Explores the Trends Transforming Tomorrow and former advisor to technology startups and a multinational education non-profit, Simon has established himself as an international expert in emerging technologies and trends. Simon’s insights have been featured in a wide variety of publications worldwide, including CityWire’s New Model Adviser, Commercial Factor, Crain’s Business News and Executive Connections, a publication of the International Executive MBA Council.

Joy Taylor

Managing Director, alliant

Joy Taylor is a distinguished business transformation expert with over 25 years of cross-functional experience. As a former National Managing Principal at Grant Thornton and CEO of a $60 million business, she has successfully led complex, global initiatives for organizations ranging from startups to multibillion-dollar enterprises.

Specializing in program transformations, strategic execution, and change management, Joy leverages her expertise in Lean Sigma methodologies to drive process improvements and facilitate organizational change. Joy's ability to navigate intricate, large-scale programs across diverse cultures positions her as a trusted advisor to CEOs seeking impactful business transformation and strategic guidance.

Don McMillan

Comedian and former engineer

Don McMillan graduated from Stanford University with a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1982. (He has a BSEE from Lehigh University) He went to work for AT&T Bell Laboratories where he worked as part of the team that designed the world's first 32-bit Microprocessor. He then moved to the Silicon Valley (San Jose, California) where he worked at VLSI Technology as a computer chip designer. During his 6 years at VLSI he designed more than 50 Standard and ASIC Designs many of which are still out there today. After winning the 16th Annual San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition in 1991, Don McMillan turned in his chips for a microphone. He went on to be $100,000 Grand Champion on "Star Search" in 1993. He's had numerous television appearances including "The Tonight Show" on NBC, CNN's "The Larry King Show", MTV's "Half Hour Comedy Hour", and A&E's "Evening at the Improv". Nowadays, you can catch Don headlining comedy clubs from the "Improvisation" to "Catch-A-Rising Star" across the country.

Bret Tushaus

Vice President of Product Management, Deltek

Bret Tushaus is responsible for leading the product strategy, roadmap and product management teams for Deltek’s Vantagepoint, Maconomy, Ajera, People Planner, PIM, ConceptShare and WorkBook. Prior to joining Deltek, Bret spent 15 years at Eppstein Uhen Architects and holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.

Chandra Storrusten

CEO & Chief Value Creation Officer, Visible Value

Chandra is passionate about helping leaders and their organizations transform. She fosters sustainable value creation strategies that allow companies to capitalize on pivotal opportunities during growth, transitions, and transformations. Chandra inspires her clients to be mission, values, and purpose-driven organizations that attain long-term resiliency. Her clients become innovative leaders in their industry, achieve their vision, and consistently out-perform their competition. Chandra’s passion for transformation extends beyond her clients. She serves on numerous Boards and was previously an Advisor to the Transformative Leadership in Disruptive Times Program at George Washington University School of Business. Chandra obtained an Executive MBA from Duke University – Fuqua School of Business and served on their Alumni Council. She enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her husband and family.

Steve Gido, CFA

Principal, ROG+ Partners

Steve Gido specializes in corporate financial advisory services with a focus on mergers and acquisitions. Steve has assisted architecture, engineering, environmental consulting and construction firms of all sizes across North America achieve their growth or liquidity goals through successful mergers & acquisitions. Steve has over 25 years of investment banking experience and holds the chartered financial analyst (CFA) designation from the CFA Institute.

David Sullivan, Jr., CPA

Partner, A&E Practice, PKF O’Connor Davies LLP 

David leads PKF O’Connor Davies’ Architecture & Engineering practice. He has over 30 years of experience advising owners of A&E firms on financial, tax, ownership transition, and merger and acquisition matters. David and the PKFOD A&E team provide creative tax and financial solutions to firms across the country.

Ian Rusk, ASA, CM&AA

Managing Principal, ROG+ Partners

Ian Rusk has spent over twenty years working with hundreds of architecture, engineering and environmental consulting firms, large and small, through-out the U.S. and abroad with a focus on ownership planning, business valuation, ESOP advisory services, mergers &  acquisitions, and strategic planning. Ian is a professionally trained and accredited business appraiser and holds the Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) designation with the American Society of Appraisers. He also holds the Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) designation from the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors.

Michael O’Brien, ASA, CM&AA

Principal, ROG+ Partners

With more than twenty years of corporate financial advisory experience, Michael O’Brien works with thousands of companies across many different industries providing business valuation, fairness and solvency opinions, mergers and acquisitions, internal ownership transition consulting, ESOPs, and strategic planning. Michael is dedicated to assisting firms in the architecture, engineering and environmental consulting industry. His experience includes conducting business valuations and appraisals for a variety of purposes, including complex fairness and solvency opinions, litigation support, establishment and maintenance of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and general management purposes.